Super Trojan
by Dante de Troy
Summary: My venting of the Mary Sue tendencies we all have. This is NOT Smallville based, but rather assumes that Clark and Lana are both class of 2001 and goes from there. (CHAPTER 3&4 ARE UP!!!)
1. Decisions

1 Ultimate Superman  
  
Chapter 1: Decisions  
  
Smallville, Kansas  
  
April 12, 2001  
  
A spring wind swept through across the plains, blowing dust through the cloudless sky. On a small hill sat the aged redbrick building that was Smallville High. It was a modest building, a holdover from a time when simplicity had equaled elegance. The hill was dotted with lush green trees and hedges, and overlooked the well-worn football stadium.  
  
Inside, it was 3:00, and nearing the end of the school day. The senior class was listening intently to the lecture of their English teacher when a voice came over the intercom.  
  
"Clark Kent, please report to the counselor's office."  
  
Clark raised his hand and the teacher, a kindly older man named Mr. Gray nodded.  
  
"Just sign the hall pass before you go, Clark."  
  
  
  
Clark was one of the most popular students at Smallville High. Shortly after he had joined the football team at running back, he'd begun to earn the respect of the more. athletic classmates. But having come under such close scrutiny in general, the more studious among his peers had noticed that Clark Kent was not the typical jock either. Senior year had brought everything that Clark had waited for as a child. Small and weak when he was young, he was suddenly the first invited to the parties and everyone's first shot when it came time to hunt down a date for a dance.  
  
He knocked on the door to the counselor's office and heard the soft voice from within.  
  
"Come on in, Clark."  
  
"Thanks, Ms. Carr."  
  
A kindly older woman was seated at the desk in front of the window. Maggie Carr had been at Smallville high for years, and delighted in helping her students achieve their dreams.  
  
"So Clark. How are your classes coming?"  
  
"All right so far. What's this about, ma'am?"  
  
"That's one thing I like about you Clark, you go right to it. So will I. This would ordinarily go to Coach Dumpert first, but I pulled some strings so that I could give it to you."  
  
She pulled an envelope from her desk drawer and handed it to him. On the front was a large purple Wildcat, the mascot of Kansas State. Clark ran a finger under the edge of the envelope and tore it open.  
  
"Give an old lady a thrill and read it out loud, please."  
  
Clark sighed and began to read. " 'Dear Clark, it s our distinct pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted to enter the class of 2005 at Kansas State University. We are also pleased to inform you that after review by our athletic commission and financial aid office, that we are honored to offer you an athletic scholarship covering your full financial need.' Is this for real?"  
  
"It is, Clark. Congratulations."  
  
Ms. Carr stood and walked around the desk, giving Clark a surprisingly vigorous hug.  
  
"Congratulations, Clark. Now go home early and tell your mother."  
  
Clark walked home alone that afternoon. Here he was, living the dream of almost every kid who had ever played football in Kansas. But something was wrong. Clark knew what he was, and had known for some time. His parents had objected at first to his playing football, but they knew how much he loved the game. At first he had seemed just an outstanding athlete, but as he got older, his abilities grew far beyond those of even the most outstanding athlete. He had known then that the ride had to end. It was one thing to enjoy the game in high school, but it would just be wrong to have that kind of advantage in the college arena.  
  
He looked around him as he walked the last mile of country road to the farm. All around him were the sights and sounds of spring on the prairie. He would hate to leave it. Leaving was the one thing he was certain about. As he approached the simple farmhouse, he saw Lana waiting for him on the stoop.  
  
"Hiya Clark."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"I heard. Everybody's heard. So why the long face?"  
  
"I can't go, Lana."  
  
"Why not? You don't have to pay. You get to play, and everybody knows that you'll do great."  
  
"There're other things going on."  
  
"What other things?" She frowned. "Look, if you're worried about me, don't. I'll go wherever you go, Clark. I love you."  
  
"I know. and I love you. I just can't go."  
  
She moved up close to him and put her hands on his cheeks.  
  
"If you don't go Clark, I won't understand, but I'll still be with you."  
  
He kissed her and drew her close. He wasn't sure about the future. He knew that it wasn't in Smallville, but it was comforting to know that there was at least one other certain thing in life. Closing his hand around Lana's, he walked into the house, where his parents were seated at the kitchen table waiting for him.  
  
"We heard."  
  
"Seems everybody has."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well, it seems I have another option." Clark pulled a rumpled envelope from the pocket of his jacket. 


	2. Options

ULTIMATE SUPERMAN  
  
Chapter 2: Choices  
  
Smallville, Kansas  
  
April 12, 2001  
  
Clark laid the rumpled envelope on the table. It was obvious that it had been sitting in his pocket for a good number of days. It was lettered in cardinal and gold, with the letters USC on the front.  
  
"I got this last month. At first they wanted to offer me an athletic scholarship, but when I told them I wasn't interested, they offered me an academic scholarship. A full ride. That's over thirty thousand dollars."  
  
The Kents were speechless.  
  
"Clark," Martha was the first to speak. "This is fantastic!"  
  
Jonathan put a hand on Clark's shoulder.  
  
"Congratulations, son. So, since you're not going to be playing football, what are you going to do?"  
  
Clark shook his head.  
  
"I don't really know. They're giving me up to three semesters to declare a major. I have the freedom to decide what I want with no one watching over me."  
  
In all the commotion, they'd forgotten that Lana was right there. Her face was coated in a smile that would have blinded a normal man.  
  
"Clark… I got accepted there. I wasn't going to go because I… but now… OH!" She threw herself on him and tried her best to crush him in a massive bear hug. She pulled herself away and smiled at him. "This is going to be great. I have to go tell my parents!"  
  
She hopped off his lap and bolted out the door, shouting "Bye Mr. and Mrs. Kent!" A shout of joy came from the front yard as the door slammed.  
  
The look on Jonathan's face became serious.  
  
"Clark…"  
  
"I know, Dad. I've already thought it out. I can be just as careful in Los Angeles as I can in Manhattan."  
  
"You have to be more careful, son. There are cameras everywhere in that town. There are millions of people. You can't afford to be anything less than extremely careful."  
  
"I know, I know."  
  
Jonathan let himself smile again.  
  
"We're still proud of you, son."  
  
***  
  
High above Smallville a green glow orbited the Earth. Sensing that it's time had come, it plummeted toward the western coast of a moderate sized landmass, hunting… 


	3. Curbside Meetings

(WARNING: RAMPANT Mary Sue-ing in this story. What else is fanfiction for if not to put yourself into the world of the cool guys… ehehe… to my fellow SC students who might read this, let's just suppose that Lana was #24, m'kay? To the rest… don't bother trying to understand.)  
  
ULTIMATE SUPERMAN  
  
Chapter 3: Curbside Meetings  
  
Los Angeles, CA  
  
August 23rd, 2001  
  
"Flight 1796 now arriving at gate A five…"  
  
The roar of people was almost deafening to Clark as he and Lana made their way down the gangway from the airplane to the gate. Everywhere there were people, and they were all people whom he didn't know. Fewer things are more shocking to a farm boy from Kansas than the sudden realization that the world is a whole lot bigger than he'd thought. He'd been in to Kansas City a few times, and had thought it was crowded, but Los Angeles was unlike anything he'd considered even in his wildest dreams.  
  
"So many people…" He stopped for a moment to look around, stunned. He didn't snap out of it until Lana took hold of his hand.  
  
"Come on, Clark, lets go get the luggage and get out of here."  
  
Having no great disagreement to that plan, Clark shouldered his backpack and held on to Lana's hand as the two of them made their way through the sea of humanity. Several minutes and several very heavy bags later they stood on the curbside with a number of other young people, waiting by the sign marked "USC", waiting for the shuttle that would take them to their new home. Clark began to look at the faces around him while they waited. He was startled to realize that he already recognized someone. Over the summer he and Lana had both spent a good deal of time on the internet trying to find out things about the people that they would meet on campus. While their searches hadn't yielded much in the way of results, he had managed to find one other person dong the same thing.  
  
"Josh!" (I'm sorry readers…)  
  
A thin youth standing near the edge of the crowd whipped his head around. He was dressed in simple jeans and a gray sweatshirt emblazoned with the crimson letters of the university. His face bore a well trimmed goatee and a wide, toothy smile as he saw Clark.  
  
"Hey! Clark, what's up?"  
  
The two exchanged a hearty handshake.  
  
"It's great to finally meet you in person." Josh said.  
  
"I know, for some reason AOL instant messenger just doesn't really cut it." Sudddenly Clark was aware of a light touch on his arm, and he mentally chastisted himself. "Oh, sorry! Lana, this is Josh Epstein, I met him over the Internet. Josh, this is Lana Lang, my girlfriend."  
  
Josh took Lana's offered hand and shook it, enjoying her warm, if shy, smile.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you Lana. Clark's talked about you a lot over the summer. I heard that you're a theatre major too. BA or BFA?"  
  
"BFA. You?"  
  
"That same!" Josh said excitedly. "Awesome, I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other, then."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Clark had enjoyed talking to Josh online, and found that he had an inviting personality in person. And he was glad that Lana would know someone. He had been concerned that she would feel very out of place there, and even a little worried that some of those theatre guys would be trying to… well… no use thinking about it. He was sure that Josh would keep an eye on things for him.  
  
A red SuperShuttle van pulled up to the curb and a man leaned out the window. "USC?"  
  
Everyone tossed his or her bags in the back of the van and then crawled in. When the van was full, the driver slammed the door shut and pulled away from the curb. Clark took a deep breath of polluted air as they got on the freeway. In the distance he could see the red-tinged buildings of the campus that he recognized from the brochures and pictures he'd seen at the Midwest Orientation. As they drew closer, he felt his heart racing with anticipation. A whole new life was about to begin, and it started as soon as the door opened.  
  
NEXT: PAIRING UP!!! 


	4. Pairing Off

ULTIMATE SUPERMAN  
  
Chapter 4: Pairing Up  
  
Los Angeles, CA  
  
August 23rd, 2001  
  
The van had to make a number of stops, as not everyone was living in the same place for the year. Lana's grades (a bit better than Clark's since she hadn't had to deal with the occasional odd crisis that resulted from being born on another planet) had gotten her into the Dean's Halls, while Clark had opted to live in the International Residence College. He'd really liked the idea of living with people from all over the world, especially if he was going to go through with some of his post-college plans. Unfortunately, due to poor planning and construction mishaps, the new building wouldn't be finished until the Spring semester. Instead of moving into the normal dorm spaces though, those students that were supposed to have been housed in the International dorm had been allocated space in the university-owned Radisson hotel, which Clark didn't mind, since it happened to be located right across the street from the Dean's Halls.  
  
Clark helped Lana unload her bags in front of the Dean's hall, then gave her a quick kiss.  
  
"Call me tonight?" She asked quietly.  
  
"I'll call you as soon as I get moved in." He climbed most of the way back into the van. "Love you!" He shouted as it drove away to make a u-turn and pull up in front of the Radisson.  
  
Inside, things were chaotic. The university had not bothered to pre-assign rooms or room-mates, so there was now an immense line of some several hundred students, all waiting to be told where they were going to live. As Clark unloaded his things, he saw Josh doing the same.  
  
"You didn't say you were living here too, Josh."  
  
"I could have sworn I did." The smaller man gave him an impish grin as he dragged his large green duffel bag into the lobby. The two of them found places on one of the benches after filling out the necessary paperwork and sat for a bit. When a woman in a red university polo came by and asked if they happened to know who they wanted to room with, Josh smiled.  
  
"Do we get a room faster if we say yes?"  
  
"We have one open now, if you want to go ahead and move in."  
  
Clark and Josh exchanged a "why not" look and stood up, grabbing their bags.  
  
Across the street, Lana had checked in to Trojan Hall and was unpacking her things in her room when she heard a knock on the door. A small, slightly plump blonde girl was leaning in, bags in hand. Her face had a hint of red in it, but also bore a friendly smile.  
  
"Hi. I'm Bethany. You must be Lana. I tried emailing you before I left home to get to know you…"  
  
Lana returned the smile. "I'm sorry, I read it right before I left for the airport. I would have gotten back to you. Come on in, it's your room too!"  
  
Bethany and Lana lugged B's things into the room and then plopped down on their beds, huffing with the effort. After talking for a bit, they knew quite a bit about each other. Bethany was from Las Vegas, and was a Mormon. Unlike Lana, she was undeclared, but, like Lana, her good grades had gotten her into the Dean's Halls. Throughout the conversation, though, Lana kept glancing out the window to her left, fixing her eyes for a moment on the white front of the Radisson. Bethany looked like she'd be a good roomie, but she already missed Clark.  
  
***  
  
The green glow moved silently through alleyways and beneath overpasses, coming over closer to its target. It would take time, but it would find what it was looking for… 


	5. Explorations

ULTIMATE SUPERMAN  
  
Chapter 5: Exploration  
  
(I Apologize, yet again, for the rampant Mary Sue-ness of this story. It's really just a way for me to pass time and to vent the problems of my life and drag these poor innocent characters in… I'm sorry… really… I am…)  
  
Los Angeles, CA  
  
August 23rd, 2001  
  
Josh and Clark were issued their room/elevator keycards and they promptly moved their things upstairs. What they found looked about as they'd expected: a normal hotel room, the only difference being the addition of a second desk against the far wall. Within a few minutes, the room had undergone disastrous changes. Boxes were scattered everywhere, their contents distributed around the room in patterns that seemed to suggest that they were intended to be organized, but had stopped somewhere short. The view out the window wasn't exactly spectacular, given that it consisted mainly of the freeway and a beer ad-emblazoned moving company building.  
  
They seemed to be the first ones to arrive on the fifth floor, but they left their door open in case anyone else should chance by. They were located just off the floor lobby, so they'd figured that anyone moving in would probably pass by their door. They were right. By mid-afternoon, with everything now organized and the room a bit more creatively arranged, they'd met most of their fellow fifth floor residents. For some reason, the girls on the floor seemed to be spending a lot of time standing near the door to Clark and Josh's room. When Josh suggested that it might have something to do with the fact that his roommate stood well over six feet tall and boasted a rather impressive physique, his fellow Kansan turned a bit red and retreated to his side of the room.  
  
Around nine, Clark decided he needed some fresh air.  
  
"Hey, Josh, I'm gonna run out for a while."  
  
"I think that I should be able to console the throng of disappointed women. Have fun."  
  
Clark sent a mocking scowl towards his roommate and headed for the elevator. Even this late in the evening, the hotel was still bustling with students checking in and running about, getting to know one another. It was going to take a while to transition from the "nothing-happens-after-ten- o'clock" mentality of Smallville to this unsleeping attitude of Los Angeles, he could see that right away.  
  
Outside, his enhanced senses still made him grimace at the level of pollution in the air here. If not for his x-ray vision, he doubted that he could even see the mountains beyond downtown. He wandered for a while, taking in the sights of a campus alive with activity, people moving in, saying their goodbyes to parents, first meetings between people who might become lifelong friends. The sounds, the sights, all the sensations of a city over millions flooded into Clark, leaving him all at once exhilarated and breathless. He could hear the single voice of a girl crying already with homesickness, he could smell the scent of the marijuana being smoked atop the roof of a nearby dorm, and he could see the tense faces of the officers in the helicopters that circled the area, still feared as one of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in America, despite the efforts of city authorities.  
  
In his senior year, Clark had discovered the full extent of his abilities, and was still learning to cope with them. Right now, that was becoming extremely difficult. As he moved deeper into the campus, he began to feel as if it were swallowing him, the intensity of the activity was unlike anything he'd experienced, but he wanted to be open to it, he wanted to feel the pulse of life around him, so he went on. He quickly found himself across campus, moving toward the fringes of the area actually controlled by USC. This was The Row, and it was here that the intensity took on a whole new form. He'd heard stories from his father about the debauchery that went on within the Greek system when he had attended Kansas State in the late sixties, but those stories hadn't prepared him for some of what he saw. Not even the most daring girl back home dressed like some of the girls he saw wandering down 28th street. Even the most tolerant parents back home would never have allowed their son to be as intoxicated as some of the students Clark saw inside some of the houses. He understood that it was "all in fun", but there seemed to be something about this place, something like barely-chained chaos that just begged to run loose.  
  
When his father had shown him where he'd come from, and he'd learned what he was capable of, he knew what his mission in life was to be. He'd always wanted to help people, to protect people. Thankfully, Smallville was a quiet little Kansas town where very little happened. Here though… this would be his testing ground. Here he would prove to himself that he was capable of carrying out this mission in life.  
  
Growing slightly nauseated at the sights he observed, Clark turned back toward the main body of campus, feeling a sense of relief as he left the Row behind.  
  
  
  
In her room, Lana was sitting on her bed across from Bethany, quietly reading. She was slowly getting used to the near-constant sound of cars rushing past her window, and she found that her roommate was a girl one easily got along with, even if she did have a rather boisterous personality. Out the window, she saw the Radisson, and wondered what Clark was doing. He'd shared his secret with her just before they'd graduated, the night after the big homecoming game. He'd tried to tell her that this meant he couldn't be with her any more, but she'd refused to let it go at that. She'd almost let him simply fly away, but a sudden surge of will stopped her. She'd held on to him, unwilling to let things end like that. As she'd talked to him, she had seen something change in his face. He'd been so afraid that this new mission in life meant that he had to be alone, that he couldn't ever truly share with anyone, but she knew better. She remembered the conversation clear as if it had happened yesterday.  
  
  
  
"I know you better than you know yourself, Clark. You can't do this alone, it's not right."  
  
"But you don't understand… Lana, I'm not normal… I'm not human."  
  
"Clark, I believe that it isn't your blood that makes you human. Wherever you came from, I don't care." She put a hand to his chest. "This is what makes you human." She took his hands, clasped them in hers, and held them against her heart. "This is what makes me human." She kissed him. "That is what makes us human."  
  
"Lana…"  
  
"Clark, you can't go through life alone. It's connection that makes us human. You want to help people, great. But how can you help humanity if you set yourself aside from it?"  
  
"Lana…"  
  
"No, Clark. Don't argue with me, you know I'm MMRPH!"  
  
He silenced her with a kiss. "Lana… shh. You're right."  
  
  
  
The memory brought a smile to her face. She hugged her book to her chest and thought eagerly tomorrow, and the next day, and every day, because she'd be with Clark. 


	6. Routine

Chapter 6: Routine  
  
(I Apologize, yet again, for the rampant Mary Sue-ness of this story. It's really just a way for me to pass time and to vent the problems of my life and drag these poor innocent characters in… I'm sorry… really… I am…)  
  
Los Angeles, CA  
  
August 24th, 2001

A new day brought new challenges and new excitements. The SC campus bustled with fervent life as new and returning students swarmed over it like insects. Everywhere the clamor of excited conversation could be heard, and everywhere the mix of nervous excitement and quiet resolution permeated the air.

"How does anyone eat this?" Josh spit a mouthful of what passed for eggs at the cafeteria back into his napkin. "It's like galvanized rubber!"

Across the table, his roommate was on his third helping of pancakes, and showing no signs of slowing.

"I don't know, they're not that bad."

Lana simply shook her head and continued nibbling at the waffle she'd made. This was nothing new for her.

"Honestly, Clark, I don't know how you do it. With as much as you eat, you should weigh three hundred pounds."

"Growing up on a farm will give you a hefty appetite."

"I guess. So, do you know if anything is going on tonight?"

"I heard about something called a dive in movie from Abbe, but I don't really know if I'm going to go."

"Plus we were thinking about maybe heading out to Westwood. Clark said your RA was going to give people rides out there tonight."

"Oh, sounds fun."

"What about you? Big plans?"

"I actually think that I may do that movie thing. It sounds like it could be fun."

"Cool."

And that was how things went. Over the weekend, they made breakfast a habit, a nice time when they could all get together and laugh about the fact that Clark's mom never stopped calling, or hear Lana's latest story about the crazy girl who lived next door to her. For the most part, they felt as if they were settling in pretty well. 

Monday, August 27: The first day of class

Clark kissed Lana on the cheek as the three of them walked out of the cafeteria. All around them, people were hurriedly scurrying off to class.

"I'll see you at lunch." He said, giving her a big hug. "Josh, don't get lost."

"Yeah, yeah, get to class, Kent." His roommate shot back.

Lana just smiled and pushed Josh in the direction of their first class, playfully slugging Clark on the shoulder as she walked off. Clark grinned and went his way.

------

In a lab across campus, she hurriedly put her things away before the professor got back. In the petri dish was the small bit of gray matter that she'd been working on. If everything went as planned, she'd have results in mere days. Then she'd show them...

------

Just beneath campus, the glow continued on. It could feel it, it's target. It was here... he was here... it wouldn't be long now. And a good thing, too, because time was short...


End file.
